Self Drive in Taiwan

Taiwan is one of the popular destinations among Singaporeans. The first time I visited Taiwan was 30 years back.  I was just a kid then. All that I remembered was the horrific traffic and the smelly bamboo shoot stench.  The second time was during army days.  I have very little recollections of the place.  Only remembered walking miles over tea plantations just to conquer an objective.  Not impressive! It has never cross my mind to re-visit the country again.

This time, if not for my wife's insistence, I would not have stepped foot into Taiwan again. It was a rather rash decision. We talk about it in November and set off in mid December. This trip was all because of Fatty Bom Bom.  It marked the end of his Kindergarten and entry into Primary school life.  Wow Wow Wow Big Deal !!!

I scrambled through all blogs and forums I could grab hold of, just to plan where to go.  Frankly, after so many years, everything would have changed.  I started from scrap.  Like every travellers, I drew a skeleton draft of the cities to visit, and inserted places of interest and so on and so forth. As I read through past blogs, I realised almost everyone explored Taiwan on foot or with private drivers. Undoubtedly, Taiwan has a good transport network and it is possible to go everywhere by train and public buses. However, I have 2 old folks, who love TOTAL PRIVACY and could not walk much, and a six year old boy with me.  The 2 options didn't seem to fit. There is only one way - SELF DRIVE.

Everybody who knew about it discouraged me from doing so.  They said it was almost impossible to drive in Taiwan.  Reckless driving, different road system, left hand drive, motor cycles, are just the common ones to add to the list.  However, I have no other choices but to drive by myself.  Am I not glad that I had opted this. I would not be able to do much without the car.

So in this blog, I would like to share with everyone my personal experience on doing a self drive in Taipei, Nantou and Taichung. Also, sharing my itenararies. 

Day 1 Singapore - Jakarta - Hong Kong - Skycity Marriott

0400 - Check in @ Singapore Changi Airport T3

0715 - Singapore Airlines T2 to Jakarta

0745 - (Indo time) Touched down Soekarna-Hatta International Airport

1100 - (Indo Time) Garuda Indonesia to Hong Kong 

1640 - Touched down Hong Kong International Airport

1830 - Check in Hong Kong Skycity Marriott Hotel

2000 - Dinner at Maxim Palace Metro Plaza

What happen? Why are people sitting on the floor in Jakarta Airport? To find out please read my post on Jakarta Airport.

 Unhappiness built up. "Riot" starting soon !!! 

    The delay spoilt all our plan in going to Ngong Ping :(  

Day 2 Ocean Park

1030 - Slight breakfast at Citygate Tung Chung Station

1140 - Dimsum lunch at Shamrock Restaurant outside Jordan Station

1330 - Ocean Park

1830 - Left Ocean Park

2000 - Dinner at 'Canteen' outside Admiralty Station 

Fatty Bom Bom and the Dolphins

Time for Cable Car

Not for the faint hearted

One of the rides in the Park

Day 3 Hong Kong - Taoyuan Airport - Beitou - Danshui

0830 - Check in @ Hong Kong International Airport
1130 - Cathay Airlines to Taoyuan International Airport
1300 - Touched down at Taoyuan International Airport
1400 - Picked up 1.6L Nissan Livina from Chailease Auto Rental Co at airport
1530 - Beitou Nong Chan Si 北投农禅寺
1630 - Beitou Hot Spring Thermal Valley 地热谷
1715 - Checked in Beitou Radium Kagaya Hotel 日胜生加贺屋
1915 - Dinner at Danshui Lao Jie 淡水老街
2200 - Soak Hot Spring at Hotel

    Taoyuan International Airport

    Nong Chan Si 农禅寺

    Beitou Thermal Valley

 Vendor at Danshui Lao Jie 淡水老街

Day4 Beitou - Yehliu - Ruifang - Shifen - Taipei - Raohe Mkt

0800 - Breakfast at Kayaga Hotel
1300 - Yehliu Geopark 野柳地质公园

1400 - Lunch at Yehliu
1520 - Ruifang Food Street瑞芳美食街
1600 - Shifen Waterfall 十分瀑布
1700 - Shifen lao jie 十分老街
2000 - Checked in Palais De Chine Taipei 
2130 - Raohe Night Market 饶河街光观夜市

 Breakfast at Kagaya Hotel. Guests in Kimono.

Park entrance

Ruifang Food Street

Shifen Waterfall

Sky Lantern at Shifen Lao Jie

Night Market

Day4 Taipei - Jiufen - Ximending

0800 - 豆浆油条 Breakfast at Shan Dao Si Station 

1030 - Free and Easy 

1500 - Jiufen 九份

2100 - Ximending 西门町

Look at the queue just to eat 豆浆油条

Houses at Jiufen 

At Ximending

Day5 Taipei - Wenshui Lao jie - DaHu - Sun Moon Lake

1030 - Checked Out Palais De Chine

1200 - Reached WenShui Lao Jie 汶水老街

1330 - DaHu Strawberry Farms 大湖草莓园

1700 - Sun Moon Lake Da Lago Hotel 日月潭大莱阁酒店

Wen Shui in Miaoli County

Strawberry Picking

Taken from Da Lago Hotel Main Lobby

Day6 Sun Moon Lake - Cingjing

0600 - Sun rise walk by Da Lago Hotel

0930 - Free and Easy 

1200 - Drive round the lake

1530 - Checked in Sunnydale, Cingjing 清境

Sunrise over Sun Moon Lake

Driving round the lake

Looking out from our hotel

Day7 Sunnydale - 青青草原 - Puli - Taichung 

0800 - Breakfast at Sunnydale

0900 - 青青草原

1125 - Lunch at Cingjing

1330 - Chung Tai Temple, Puli 中台禅寺，埔里

1630 - Checked in Slendour Hotel,Taichung　台中

1900 - Feng Jia Night Market　逢甲夜市

walking up 青青草原

Lunch at Cingjing

Sanctuary of the Heavenly Kings, Zhong Tai Temple

Beautiful Taichung City

Day7 Sunnydale - Taichung - Taoyuan Airport - Hong Kong

          - Singapore

1000 - In search of Pineapple Tart

1200 - Checked out Hotel

1430 - Reached Tao Yuan International Airport

1645 - Home Sweet Home